Counseling Strategies for Addressing Militancy and Social Restiveness in Nigeria
Chapter One
Objective of Study
The central focus of this study is to examine how political, economic environment and other issues which encompasses marginalization, which mainly evolves as a result of oil exploration of multi-national companies constitute the basis of youth/military restiveness, resource conflicts and attendant violence in the Niger-Delta. Also, the study will examine the effects and possible solutions to the youth militancy and restiveness in the Niger-Delta.
The study will also focus on how efficient the oil companies and Government agencies alleviate the suffering of the people in terms of provision of social amenities.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
Literature Review
First, I would like to trace the criminal dimension of the youth restiveness in the Niger-Delta, although it has been claimed that the major factor responsible for the youth restiveness in the Niger-Delta is marginalization and total neglect of the people in the oil rich region.
However, there has been a criminal dimension to the youth militancy and restiveness in the oil rich region, such as oil bunkering. Peace can only be restored if oil bunkering is eradicated. The federal government should ensure that it uses its might to fight this illegal act. Most of the youth in the Niger Delta use marginalization as their main reason for indulging in this criminal act.
According to Governor Amaechi, some militants are criminals, because many of them have indulged in kidnapping of important personalities in the society, especially government functionaries. This act had spread to other parts of the country. Usually a ransom is paid before such persons can be released.
Different cases of kidnapping have been recorded in the Niger Delta. The Nation of April 27, 2009 reported the abduction of a Canadian, the kidnapping of a former General Officer Commanding First Mechanized Division, an ex-commissioner and the Accountant-General of BayelsaState. This ugly situation that made the President of Nigeria to direct all security agencies to be on the alert to nip the trend in the bud. He also reached out to governors in the Niger Delta to assist in rescuing those already kidnapped. The Nations gathered that some of the militants had been demanding various sums of money ranging from N25 million to N50 million before they could set their captives free. The oil bunkering and the rate of kidnapping in the Niger Delta is a clear indication that the youth militancy and restiveness in the region is not only about marginalization, but personal motive to enrich themselves through various negative practices.
However, to be honest, youth restiveness is mainly attributed to marginalization and the total neglect of the oil rich region; which has brought untold hardship to the people.
According to the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Salamantu Suleiman, during her ministerial screening exercise on the floor of the Senate, when asked about possible solution to the problem in the Niger-Delta, she said there was bound to be youth restiveness due to marginalization, hunger, starvation and poverty. The oil wealth from the Niger Delta accounts for over 90 percent of Nigeria’s revenue, and almost all of it is being used in building dams, highways and edifices in other parts of the country. The people from the Niger Delta have become highly provoked because of their miserable lot. According to ChukwumaNwokon (1998:17), all around them is poverty, stark poverty, infrastructural decay and since the government seems elusive and far away, the oil companies have become the ready targets of angry and unemployed youths in the Niger Delta.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The research study is intended to find out causes and solutions to the Niger Delta crisis. In finding out the causes of the Niger-Delta problem, the survey method of data gathering would be used.
Survey Method
Survey method is a quantitative and data generating procedure in which people are systematically asked questions about their attitudes, feelings, ideas, opinions, behaviours, beliefs, actions and so on towards a particular societal social issue in which the researcher is interested in, finding out the causes and their effects on the lives of the people, and to proffer some solutions to them. The feelings or attitudes of people on particular issues can be gathered through the administration of questionnaires, direct interviews, schedule with identified attached sampled population. Data could be gathered also through mailing, telephone conversation and other electronic means, provided the researcher gets a reliable feedback from the respondents.
Population
According to Earl Babbie (1992:98), a population is the theoretically specified aggregation of study elements. A study population is that aggregation of element from which the sample is actually selected. Population is the entire group of persons or events about which information is sought. It is also called the universe. In this research study, all the enlightened youths from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria resident in Benin constitutes our population.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Table 4.1: The Arm Struggle between the Communities in the Niger-Delta Areas and Federal Governments troops is a Result of the Presence of oil
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings
This research study has dealt with the youth restiveness in the oil rich region (Niger delta) which had led a lot of the inhabitants displaced and caused untold hardship on many of the populace. Their struggle is based on their demand from the Federal Government for a greater share from the wealth their community has contributed to national development and sustenance. The people of these oil producing communities are asking for a redress or the federal government should confirm their resource control demand, and political autonomy.
This research study proposed to achieve the following:
- Compare the remote causes and levels of damages suffered by the inhabitants of the people in the oil rich region. In their struggle to be liberated from total exploitation of the natural resources by the oil exploration companies in collaboration with the federal government since 1958.
- Re-look at the provisions of the petroleum laws that have made it impossible for these communities to enjoy fair revenue allocation share, or possibly achieve political autonomy in controlling the resources in their backyard.
- Find out the extent of indigenous efforts to the solution of the Niger Delta crisis which they say is based on other neglect by both the federal and the oil companies in the host communities, and the role of past administration so far to manage the oil crisis since 1960 till date.
- Suggest some solutions to this age long crisis within an approximate provision of social infrastructures and other demands obtainable from any authority concerned and finally
- If the recent amnesty proclamation by the federal government would resolve the problem of the Niger Delta region.
In order to achieve the above objectives in the research study, the following hypotheses were formulated and tested as contained in chapter four; hypotheses are:
- Youth restiveness in the Niger Delta is closely limited to the presence of oil in the areas.
- Government insensitivity and receptiveness to the plight of the communities aggravates the crisis in these areas.
- The unemployment of the youths in these communities is a factor of the oil pipeline vandalization.
- How far the amnesty granted to militants would resolve the problem of the region.
To test these hypotheses, some research methodological instrument and techniques were applied consisting of the administration of questionnaires, oral interview and personal emphasis. Fortunately, over 200 questionnaires were retrieved from about 300 distributed. This covered about 86% of data collected in all, the questions and answers were in the matrix or RenisLikert structure where each respondent was allowed varied opinions to the question asked, that covers his/her position or belief. This methodology is found in chapter 3 of the research study work, and chapter two dealt with the related literatures, which along others drew on already written works, expressing opinions, observation, sustenance, struggles, incitements, neutrality, etc of some reporters or writers. The literature review touched on such issues as:
- The discovery of crude oil in Oloibiri community in 1956, etc and the activities of the oil exploration companies in the host communities.
- The first Niger Delta to protest oil exploration.
- The actions in Ogoni, Odi, Gbaramatu and Southern Ijaw town of Kaiama.
- The schools of thought, that is, those that are against the oil exploitation in the Niger-Delta, those that are in favour of the federal government in exploitation activities, its intimidations and suppression processes. Those who had expected the oil companies to develop their host communities and finally those that claim to be neutral.
The theoretical framework applied in this study to explain actions in the Niger Delta crisis are:
- The political economy theory, and
- The resource allocation theory.
These two theories deal with the mode of production and distribution of the productivity. The interests concerned (political economy) and the nature of allocation of the surplus value derived from the combination of the means of production and the relations of production, so as to achieve a table super-structure (resource allocation).
Conclusion
From the analysis so far in this research study, it is obvious beyond all reasonable doubt, that crude oil was discovered in the Niger Delta area of Oloibiri in 1956 by Shell O’ Arey-on Anglo/Dutch oil company but in the name of Shell British Petroleum, operated in Ogoni from 1958 to 1990 when the people of Ogoni protested their explorations without anything on the ground to show their appreciation.
As it struggle continued, the Ijaws, Ogonis and states of the Niger Delta region; their struggles which is based on the liberation and survival of their people. The recognition and development of the Niger Delta which they felt resulted in the killings of Ogonis, and many were injured.
The past government in Nigeria since 1960 have treated with disdain because they are in the minority. There have been lack of social infrastructures and political alienation from the Federation executive cabinet in which they are not proportionately represented. To these complains led to the declaration of resources control (Kaiama Declaration) on the 11th December, 1998 demanding among others the cut of oil exploration companies in their areas. This research study has shown that, despite the huge financial contribution the Niger Delta communities generate from the national government, the people of the Niger Delta especially the oil producing communities live in social deprivation and imiseration (abject poverty), their economic hope has been ruined through oil exploration as their soil can no longer feed them. The youth which resolve to taking arms complained that they are not socially and economically empowered, they live in mud houses without electricity, with polluted air and water through gas flaring and oil spills, no road for a communication network and means of improving their economic relationship with their neighbours etc. Under this condition/situation of living, the Federal Government under the era of General Ibrahim Babangida and Late General SaniAbacha, Ogoni was destroyed and disunited, under the General AbdusalmiAbubakar, almost the whole of the Ijaw people and environs were killed and exiled. The few left behind became refugees in their own house and community. Under this president OlusegunObasajo era, Odi was finished six months after he became the civilian president. And the wanton destruction of lives and properties by the joint Task Force – name Operation Restore Hope in the Niger Delta; before the recent proclamation of Amnesty by the president.
In conclusion, the people of the Niger Delta have been unjustly treated by past administration in Nigeria, due to lack of provision of social amenities for the people, the presence of oil in these communities is a curse against them yet it brought development in the towns and cities where such natural blessings are absent.
I feel that peaceful negotiation and bargaining between the two levels of government, will promote harmonious inter-government relations. Such as the recent Amnesty proclamation and the 10 percent equity participation in NNPC granted to the oil rich region by the Federal government. To this, will strengthening the spirit of give and take among the states and federal government.
Recommendations
Based on the findings in this research study, the following recommendations are made:
- The federal government should as an urgent measure, provide all necessary social infrastructures, amenities to all the communities in the Niger Delta, especially where oil exploration had taken place.
- The Federal and state governments as well as oil exploration companies operating in the Niger Delta areas should establish industries in order to open market in the areas which will be aimed at providing employment opportunities for the youths.
- The Federal Government and the oil exploration companies should empower the youths of their host communities through micro credit scheme, little financial assistance either in a form of loan or otherwise, will enable the people to set up independent small scale business (ISSB).
- The Federal government and the oil exploration companies should jointly send some relief benefits to the people of the oil producing communities where oil explorations took place. Also to benefit from the package will include the families who lost their relatives and properties following the severe attack of the soldiers on their communities.
- The Federal and state governments should as a necessity empower the people of the Niger Delta socially, through enlightenment programmes that will keep the people informed of government policies of actions. This can be done in collaboration with oil companies.
- Air, water and environmental pollution through gas flaring and oil spills should be properly checked by the Federal Government and oil exploration companies to prevent loss of human lives and aquatic animals.
- The Federal Government in collaboration with the oil exploration companies in the Niger Delta should introduce a free fertilizer scheme (FSS) to the oil producing areas where exploration has taken place, to improve the soil components of the environment, this will uplift their agricultural efforts.
- The Niger Delta areas and communities should be provided with good and efficient communication networks that will expose the communities to external market. This will really promote intra and inter-community relationships.
- All the oil-producing communities in the Niger Delta should be given the opportunity of establishing an indigenous development liaison office, which will constantly assist the federal government in monitoring the executive of projects in their areas.
- The amnesty granted to militants, is not enough but the federal government should embark on project that would meet the needs and aspiration of the people.
- For any oil and environmental policy or policies to be formulated and adopted for implementation in the Niger Delta region, adequate consultation should be done involving the Niger Delta before it is finally introduced.
- A memorandum of understanding should be agreed and signed between the oil-producing communities, the local government council of the communities, the state government in-charge of the communities, the federal government and the oil exploration companies, in the conditions of oil exploration and tax return or benefits to the communities directly.
- The federal government should set up a peace and reconciliation commission that will continuously look into intra and inter communal disputes, and possible recommendation for conflict resolutions.
- The federal government should establish a joint commission that will comprise the indigenes of the oil-producing communities, state government, federal government and oil companies representatives, that will always recommend development projects in the Niger Delta areas to the federal government. Although this has been taking care of through the establishment of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of the Niger Delta. They should wake up to the responsibility of developing the local region.
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